Review: Dell T105 Server
In early July 2008, I purchased a Dell T105 small business server to host some simple single-page webs. It was my intention to use it as a web front end server for 12-18 months, then demote it to a simple fileshare.
Here is my review of the Dell T105 Server:
Configuration:
- Dual-core AMD Opteron @ 1.8MHz
- 4 GIG 800MHz RAM
- 2x 250G SATA HDDs, no RAID
- 1x 100mb NIC
- No OS
My Enhancements:
- Windows Server 2003 Enterprise
- AVG Network Edition
PROS:
- Quiet Machine. This is one you can easily keep in the open office, not in a rack or closet. (it’s a desktop by the way) The HDDs are cheap and make TONS of noise when utilized.
- The machine is quite quick to boot, even with SQL server, IIS, AVG, and Active Directory running. Boot takes about 2 minutes, which for a server is pretty good.
- The two 250G hard drives are plenty of space for my web front ends, a SQL server, and IIS logs of my heavy traffic websites. The drawback is that I didn’t get RAID as I knew I was supposed to… Next time.
- Inexpensive. I paid just under $700 for my configuration, and it comes with a 3 year warranty.
CONS:
- I purchased my machine without RAID, and with a DVD-ROM for installation media, I only have 3 SATA ports available for HDDs, and no onboard RAID to use. Dell offered a RAID controller, multiple in fact, and I should have purchased one.
- No Gigabit NIC. Again, Dell has this upgrade option, I simply didn’t utilize it.
- Operating system upgrades weren’t competitively priced. I could purchase the license for Server 2003 for about $300 cheaper than Dell was offering.
Verdict:
The Dell T105 Server (Dell T-105) is an extremely good choice for small 20-30 person offices or those who wish to host multiple websites with 4000-10000 hits per day. If you want a system that will last you 5+ years, this one is not it. The HDDs are consumer class and the ventilation isn’t going to keep the parts happy for 5 years. If you keep this system in a well ventilated area and patch it regularly, it will give you excellent performance at an affordable price.
Find the Dell T105 on the CHEAP!
[phpbay]poweredge T105, 20, “”, “”[/phpbay]
Popularity: 9% [?]